


Pigeons In Atlantis

by respoftw



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-13 05:02:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11177607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/respoftw/pseuds/respoftw
Summary: Evan Lorne never planned on falling in love.





	Pigeons In Atlantis

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TwoMenAndAGuava (drakkynfyre47)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/drakkynfyre47/gifts).



> Ashleigh writes non-McShep SGA fic shocker! 
> 
> This is for tumblr user stormphrax as part of the stargate rare pair swap.

Evan Lorne never planned on falling in love. When he joined the Air Force he had made a choice, a choice that - despite what his Mom thought - was right for him at the time. Growing up as he had, in a hippie commune in the hills outside San Francisco, Lorne had seen love in every shape and size and colour imaginable. Peace, love and harmony got kind of old after a while. The guys he bunked up with during officer training always laughed when he told them that following the rules was his way of rebelling, but that didn't make it any less true.

The fact that he eventually came to realise that what was the right decision back then may be the wrong decision now, only made it more true.

It was easy at the age of twenty-two to say that he could live without love. Who needed love when you had the sky? And then, when they took the sky away from him, they gave him the stars. They gave him other planets and aliens and the really cool guns and - - who was he kidding, all he wanted was someone to share it with. Thirty-two was a lot further from twenty-two than ten rotations around the sun should be.

Almost as if they could sense his wavering intent, the Air Force upped the stakes and gave him a whole new galaxy.

He would be mad not to take it; that's what he told himself anyway. He had gotten really good at stuffing his loneliness, his need, away into an unmarked box at the back of his mind, knew the best way to fold everything so it lay flat and benign. It took a bit more work this time, the sheer volume of the feelings seemed to have grown in the short time he'd opened the box to look at it but Lorne forced it down, taped the box shut and stepped onto the Daedalus with his easel and paints stowed just as securely in his personal belongings.

As they flew towards Pegasus, towards Atlantis, he was too busy to notice the way the tape on his carefully boxed feelings was starting to uncurl.

\---

"Is this seat taken?"

Evan looked up from the data pad his head was buried in and took in the wild haired man in front of him. His shirt was science blue but Evan would never have pegged him for anything other than a scientist even if he were dressed in full gear with a P-90 clipped to his chest. Even coming from the SGC, Evan was still surprised at just how much the scientists and support staff outmeasured the soldiers on Atlantis. It would take a lot of getting used to.

Figuring that he had better start getting used to it soon, Evan gestured to the empty seat across from him, nudging his half eaten tray closer to him to give the scientist more room.

"Thank you. How are you finding your time in Atlantis? The food is something to get used to, no?"

Evan laughed softly, eyeing the pink tuber like vegetables on his plate.

"You could say that again." He placed his pad down on the table and turned his full attention to the other man. "I'm sorry but I've met a lot of people and heard a lot of names over the past couple of days. Have we.."

Radek chuckled. "No, Major, we have not met but I felt like we should. I am Dr. Radek Zelenka."

Evan nodded in recognition of the name. "Dr. McKay's 2IC. That's, ah, let's just say that I don't envy you that job."

"He is prickly, ano, but not so bad underneath. I think you might find that you have the harder job."  
"Really? Col. Sheppard seems pretty laid back. I mean, it's obvious he doesn't like paperwork," Evan gestured at his pad with its dozens and dozens of unanswered emails, "but he seems a good man."

"He is," Radek nodded seriously. "The best. But he also, like Rodney, needs much looking after. I felt I should offer a shoulder to unload on when you want to vent. One 2IC to another." He smiled happily at Evan, and Evan blew out a breath at the way it transformed Radek's face, shaving years off him.

"I'd like that Doc," he said.

Radek waved his formality off. "Please, Major, call me Radek."

Evan smiled, feeling something uncurl inside him. "Only if you call me Evan."

  
\---

Evan had spent enough time with Radek to learn the worst words in Czech and Radek was muttering all of them as he stormed on to the balcony Evan was currently holed up in.

"What's McKay done now?" Evan asked, squinting at the painting he was working on.

"What hasn't he done?" Radek cursed. "Is it wrong that sometimes I prefer it when he is in infirmary?"

Evan chuckled, adding a splash of yellow to the tower on his easel, trying to mirror the way the sun was hitting the glass. "I know what you mean but remember, Radek, if they spend too long off duty, we just end up having to do their jobs as well as our own."

"Ano, ano, and there is also the annoying fact that they are our friends and we do not like to see them hurt."

"That too," Evan grinned. "So, you want to hide out here until you've calmed down?"

"I would not be disturbing you?" Radek asked hesitantly.

"Never." Evan was surprised to realise that he meant it. He wasn't sure when exactly it had happened but Radek had become one of the most important people in his life here.

"You are very talented," Radek broke the small silence that had followed Evan's sincere declaration, gesturing at the painting.

"Thanks. This place, it's inspiring. I brought my art supplies fully expecting never to use them but..." he looked at Radek, "this place is full of surprises."

Radek flushed, ducking his head. "It is," he agreed. "I am happy that you have been able to keep up your hobby."

"You have one back on Earth?" Evan asked. "A hobby?" Evan had learned early on that most of the first wave residents always referred to their own planet as Earth rather than home. It had only taken Evan a few months to understand the distinction.

"I raced pigeons," Radek admitted, blushing when Evan laughed. "It is strange and old fashioned, I know."

"Nah," Evan chuckled. "It's not strange. It's..it's very you. You miss them?"

"Every day."

Radek sounded genuinely sad and Evan felt the tape that held his feelings inside their box uncurl like a visceral punch to the gut.

"Maybe we'll find the Pegasus equivalent," he said weakly. Clearing his threat, he changed the subject. "So, tell me what McKay's up to now."

\---

Evan ran through the corridors towards the infirmary, his heart pounding a tattoo in his head.

"Whoa, there Major," Col. Sheppard almost ran into him as he rounded a corner at speed. "Where's the fire?"

Evan had never came so close to punching a commanding officer. If it was his geek in the infirmary - -

John must have saw something in Evan's face because his face softened, his tone shifting into something quieter and understanding. "He's fine. Carson got his heart started again within five seconds. No lasting damage. Hell, he's already berating Rodney for not triple checking that the power was turned off."

Evan hung his head in relief, breathing heavily in a way that had nothing to do with running through the halls of Atlantis.

He felt John's hand on the back of his neck, squeezing gently before lifting off. "Look, Lorne. It's none of my business but...tell him. I'm not exactly going to be hypocritical enough to report you for it."

Evan swallowed hard, straightened up and saluted.

John waved his salute off with a smirk. "Yeah, yeah, best CO ever, I know. Now, go do something nice for your geek."

\---

  
Radek looked half dead when he answered his door, his hair sticking out even more than usual which Evan hadn't thought possible.

"Evan." Radek looked surprised to see him which was understandable. Radek had spent the night under Carson's care and Evan hadn't visited. "I..you were busy earlier? I, ah, I had lots of McKay ranting to get off my chest while I was lying in the infirmary."

It wasn't quite an accusation but Evan knew it was as close as Radek would get. He just hoped that what he had planned would make up for it.

"I know. I'm sorry that I didn't come and see you but I was busy. Painting."

"Painting?" Radek repeated blankly. "I was lying in infirmary bed, your friend, and you were painting."

"No!" Evan back-pedalled. "I mean, yes, but, Radek, I suck at this." Evan reached down to pick up the canvas that he had left leaning against the wall next to Radek's quarters. "Just, look at it. It's..it's..."

"It is pigeons," Radek breathed out, looking at the painting with a warm smile. "In Atlantis."

"It's for you," Evan finished lamely.

"I will cherish it. It is, it is beautiful."

"I'm really glad that you're ok," Evan whispered. "I heard the call for a medical team and, and - "

Radek grabbed his hand, making him break off mid-sentence. "Evan," he smiled. "Would you like to come in?"

Evan took a deep breath, ripped the rest of the packing tape off and nodded.

"I'd love to."


End file.
